An example of a coring tool for obtaining core samples from a borehole contains a tubular housing attached at one end to a special bit often referred to as a core bit, and at the other end to a drill string extending through the borehole to the surface. The tubular housing is usually referred to as an outer barrel. The outer barrel contains an inner barrel with a space, or annulus, that separates the outer barrel from the inner barrel. During a typical coring operation, the core bit drills into a formation of rock and a core sample, such as a core of rock, is preserved for extraction. The core sample enters and fills the inner barrel, which is then subsequently retrieved to the surface.